Splash guard for shoes



ug. Ti, 1950 B. A. GUGGISBERG ETAL 295179395 SPLASH GUARD FOR SHOES Filed April 20, 1948 E5 A. i m INVENTORS ATTORN EYS.

Patented Aug. 1, 1950 SPLASH GUARD ron snons Basil A. Guggisberg and John S. Kuslich,

St. Paul, Minn.

. Application April 20, 1948, Serial No. 22,098

2 Claims. 1 This invention relates to improvements in devices to prevent the splashing of mud, water and debris from the heel of a shoe upon a wearers apparel.

It is a well known fact that as an incident of upon the heel; the device embodying improved,

means to cause the water splashed under the guard to drain forwardly and not to the outer edge of the guard.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts thruout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shoe showing the guard mounted upon the heel.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the improved splash guard.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 thru the heel of the shoe shown in Figure 1 and showing more particularly the application of the guard.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a modified form of the guard; the same showing a vertical cross sectional view similar to Figure 4.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown preferred and modified forms of the invention, the letter A may generally designate the form of invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive and B the form of invention shown in Figure 5. Insofar as the two forms of invention A and B employ similar structure, the same reference characters have been applied to the drawing.

The improved shoe guard preferably comprises a shield or guard body In which may be formed of sheet-like plastic or metal. Preferably, plastic is used, either transparent or colored to suit. The body I I] has a curvature, preferably of greater than 180, as shown in Figure 3, so as to cover the rear and side surfaces of the heel H. The

body ll] slopes outwardly and downwardlyfrom the upper edge it to the lower edge I3 The degree of slope must be sumcient to provide for proper splash protection; being in the neighborhood of 45. The forward corner marginal edges Ill and N are rounded to prevent damage of the shoe heel surfaces, and the lower frontedges may also be rounded. The ends of the G-shaped body ID are provided with retaining straps 13 which secure the ends of the elastic clamping band I 4 to the body ill. These straps E3 in the event the body is made of plastic may be integral with the body or secured thereto by means of some plastic solvent or adhesive. The band I 4? is normally under slight tension to drawthe two ends of the body ill together, Intermediate its ends the band M is provided with a forwardly extending finger grasping projection l5, provided by doubling the material of the band together and stitching it at 16.

Upon the under sloping surface of the bod l0, between the ends of the body Ill there is provided a shape retaining and position holding member 2B, which may be a block of plastic molded integral with the body or secured thereto by some suitable plastic adhesive or solvent. The member 20, shown in Figure l, has a forward surface normally vertically positioned when the guard is applied upon the heel. This surface is serrated, as shown at H in Figure 4 so that the guard will not slip downwardly upon the heel. Of course the member 20 prevents the elastic from deforming the shape of the guard at the rear of the heel, as is quite evident.

Referring to the form B, the under side of the guard body at the rear may be provided with a projection 2|] similar to projection Zll above described, but having forwardly thereon a pliable suction cup 25, of rubber or synthetic material, adapted to engage and adhere to the rear of the heel H in a manner and for a purpose well understood. The projection or member 20 is, of course, spaced inwardly from a vertical plane contacting the rear of the edge l2 0f the guard, in contradistinction to the shape of the member 20 for the form of invention A above described.

Another and improved feature of the invention is the provision of a beaded or ribbed lower margin 30 for the guard body Ill projecting inwardly from the inner surface of the guard body and providing a drip surface 3| which slopes forwardly from the inner surface of the body in and terminates in a drip edge 32 sufficiently spaced as to prevent the water being thrown over the top of the guard as an incident of walking.

The shields or guards may be made in pairs,

that is, rights and lefts if found necessary, and of course the splash guards may be made in different sizes.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made to the forms of the. invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. As an article of manufacture a splash guard for application to the heels of shoes comprising a substantially C-shaped body of sheet-1ike material which is of a nature to hold its shape but may flex at the ends thereof to increase or decrease the size of the opening in the C-shaped body, an elastic band secured at its ends to the ends of the C-shaped body normally under tension to draw said ends together and restrict the opening, said elastic band having a forwardly extending finger projection, said C-shaped body upon the under surface thereof intermediate its ends having a. narrow forwardly extending rigid shape and position retaining projection of a nature to engage the heel of the shoe to prevent sliding of the body along the heel, and a drip head at the lower margin of the body faced inwardly forwardly beyond the inner surface of the body to permit drip of water, etc. from the under surface of the body downwardly and inwardly thereover.

2.. As an article of manufacture a splash guard for application upon the heels of shoes comprising av substantially C-shaped body of sheet-like plastic material of a nature to hold its shape but capable of flexing at its ends to increase or decrease the size of the opening thereto, an elastic band secured at its ends to the ends of the C- shaped body normally under tension to draw said ends together and restrict the opening, said C- shaped body being of substantially uniform thickness and having an under surface which normally slopes downwardly and outwardly when upon a heel of a shoe and upon said surface midway between the ends of the body having a narrow projection with a forwardly facing anti-slip surface, said projection terminating at its lower end below the lower margin of the body, the lower margin of said body being provided with an integral splash deflecting rib providing an inner unchannelled surface which merges into the inner surface of the body and projects forwardly and inwardly of the inner surface of the body to drain water from the inner surface of the body directly downwardly thereover and directly off the bead, said bead extending continuously around said margin of the body and also being located beneath said projection.

BASIL A. GUGGISBERG.

JOHN S. KUSLICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,768,781 Obermeier July 1, 1930 1,779,354 Blincow Oct. 21, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22,944 Great Britain Jan. 14, 1893 1892 26,735 Great Britain Jan. 14, 1904 1903 65,116 Switzerland Aug. 2, 1913 366,867 Great Britain Feb. 11, 1932 433,719 Germany Jan. 3, 1926 435,583 Germany Jan. 6, 1926 666,085 France May 14, 1929 

